The Tampa Bay Rays have said they look forward to building the “best neighbourhood ballpark in Major League Baseball” after clearing the final key hurdle for a $1.3bn (£1.01bn/€1.2bn) stadium project that has been 17 years in the making.
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners yesterday (Tuesday) approved an historic partnership with the City of St. Petersburg and the Rays to build a multi-purpose ballpark that will anchor the City’s transformative $6.5bn Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment project.
The Commission voted 5-2 to contribute $312.5m of bed tax revenues toward the stadium design and construction. This tourist development tax provides revenue which the County can legally spend on a limited range of projects meant to encourage tourism, including sports venues.
“This is anticipated to be the largest economic development project in our County’s history, cementing our position as an international tourism destination,” said Commission Chair, Kathleen Peters.
“The economic growth stemming from this partnership with the City of St. Petersburg and the Rays will help fuel the Board’s future ability to fund key services in areas like law enforcement, housing, emergency response and more. It honours what was voted on by residents decades ago — keeping baseball in St. Petersburg for all Pinellas residents to enjoy.”
The County vote comes after the Rays took a “huge step forward” towards ending their near two-decade search for a new ballpark earlier this month after St. Petersburg City Council approved the Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment scheme.
The 5-3 vote meant there remained just one final step needed to make the project a reality – the verdict from Pinellas County Commission. This month’s announcement also included the news that construction and development firm, Skanska, had been approved to oversee the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant property and the design and construction of a new MLB stadium for the Rays.
In May, the Rays and their ballpark design firm, Populous, released new renderings and more details about the stadium they claim will provide the most intimate experience in MLB.
The $1.3bn ballpark will be the focal point of the Historic Gas Plant District Development project, further details of which were revealed earlier in May. Officials from the Rays and Hines, its global development partner, presented to St. Petersburg City Council the agreement negotiated with Mayor Kenneth T. Welch and his administration for the venture back in September.
The Rays neighbourhood ballpark, under the current working title of the Pavilion, is intended to be the anchor to the Historic Gas Plant District Development. At full buildout, the project will include upwards of eight million square feet of development including more than 5,000 residential units, 600 affordable/workforce housing units on the site and another 650 units elsewhere in the city, 1.4 million square feet of office/medical space, and 750 hotel rooms.
The approximately 30,000-seat ballpark will have a three-deck design and feature a variety of seating types, from premium clubs and suites to flexible viewing areas, decks and social gathering spaces. All concourses will include views of the field, and the park will feature a wide variety of fan amenities including a successor to the fan-favourite Rays Touch Tank Experience at Tropicana Field.
The Rays’ current home’s capacity for baseball is 25,025, but otherwise, the lowest capacity for an MLB ballpark currently stands at 34,830 for Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians. Of the approximately 30,000 seats in the new three-tier ballpark, the Rays have said around 70% would be below the top level, with roughly 15,000 in the lower bowl.
The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since 1998 but a new stadium, and potentially a move away from St. Petersburg, has been considered as far back as 2007.
With Pinellas County Commission now backing the project, construction is envisioned to begin next year on infrastructure and phase one vertical development. The proposed new ballpark is expected to open in 2028.
The City of St. Petersburg is set to spend $417.5m on the mixed-use district – $287.5m for the stadium and $130m on infrastructure. Pinellas County’s commitment of $312.5m in tourism revenue, will be joined by the Rays paying $700m of the stadium’s estimated cost as well as any additions or overrun.
The Rays’ current 30-year lease agreement at Tropicana Field ends after the 2027 MLB season. The new agreement will also be for 30 years, beginning in 2028, with the option of a pair of five-year renewals.
“This is quite a momentous day for our franchise, our fans and the entire Tampa Bay region — the Rays are here to stay in St. Petersburg,” said Stuart Sternberg, principal owner of the Tampa Bay Rays.
“We look forward to building the best neighbourhood ballpark in Major League Baseball, which will blend in beautifully with a world-class, mixed-use real estate project that honours the past and looks toward the future.”
MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, added: “I commend Stu Sternberg for his relentless efforts that drove the process to today’s momentous outcome. Across a long period of time, Stu overcame numerous challenges and demonstrated a fierce commitment to Tampa Bay. Through patience and teamwork, he found solutions that will serve the communities to which the Rays belong.
“The team will now be at the centre of a huge step forward for St. Pete and Pinellas County, and we are proud that our game will be a part of this progress.”
